Butter chicken

• 150 g Yoghurt (plain, for the marinade)
  Swaps (1)
• 60 g Butter
  Swaps (2)
• 40 g Cashew nuts (raw, soaked in hot water)
• Salt (to taste)
• 1 teaspoon Sugar (or honey)
• 3 teaspoons Chilli Powder (Kashmiri, mild)
• 1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil
• 1 handful Coriander (fresh, chopped)
• 1 tablespoon Tomato Puree (double-concentrated)
• 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
  Swaps (1)
• 1 u Cinnamon Stick (small)
• 4 u Cardamom (green pods, cracked)
• 800 g Chicken Thighs (boneless and skinless, in large chunks)
  Swaps (1)
• 0.5 teaspoons Turmeric
• 3 u Cloves
• 2 tablespoons Ginger Garlic Paste
• 2 teaspoons Garam Masala (1 for the marinade and 1 for the sauce)
• 1 tablespoon fenugreek (dried leaves (kasuri methi))
• 800 g Chopped Tomatoes (tinned)
• 150 ml Whipping Cream
  Swaps (1)
• 150 ml Water

Instructions

1. 1

   In a bowl, mix the yoghurt, ginger-garlic paste, two teaspoons of chilli powder, one teaspoon of garam masala, the turmeric, lemon juice and a teaspoon of salt. Coat the chicken well and leave it to marinate, covered, in the fridge for at least an hour, or ideally overnight.

   60 min

2. 2

   Heat the grill to maximum. Spread the chicken out on a lined tray without crowding and grill it close to the heat until browned and slightly charred at the edges. It does not need to be cooked through yet.

   15 min

3. 3

   Meanwhile, melt half the butter with the oil in a pan over medium heat and fry the cardamom, cinnamon and cloves until fragrant.

   1 min

4. 4

   Add the tomatoes, drained cashews, tomato purée, the rest of the chilli powder and the water, and simmer gently, stirring, until the tomatoes break down.

   15 min

5. 5

   Remove the cinnamon and cloves (the cardamom pods can stay) and blend the sauce until very smooth. For a restaurant-style finish, pass it through a sieve as well.

   3 min

6. 6

   Return the sauce to the pan, add the chicken with its juices and simmer gently until cooked through and the sauce has thickened.

   10 min

7. 7

   Stir in the rest of the butter, most of the cream, the sugar, the remaining garam masala and the fenugreek, crumbled between your palms. Check the salt, heat through without letting it boil hard and serve with a swirl of the remaining cream and some coriander.

   3 min